Everyone Has Secrets
by PoWriter
Summary: Criminal Minds/Higher Ground X-over. Shelby is JJ's daughter. Read intro. on first page for more info.
1. Discoveries

Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds or Higher Ground… sadly

**Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds or Higher Ground… sadly. If I did own Higher Ground, I would have kept it going for more than one season. **

-This is my first Criminal Minds/Higher Ground fic. So, please review with any suggestions/comments. I love getting reviews Insert Smiley Here!

In season three of Criminal Minds, we discover that JJ has some sort of secret. What if JJ's secret wasn't that she had a secret boyfriend, but that she had a daughter, who she had to put into foster care? Shelby, from Higher Ground, is that daughter. Shelby would have had all the same experiences, only in this fic. Walt and her mother are her foster parents. Shelby knows who her real mother and father are, and it was her real father who sent her to horizon. This is a future fic. That takes place three years after season three. The team doesn't know about JJ's daughter. JJ never got pregnant, and is still single.

**At Quantico:**

Agent Jennifer 'JJ' Jareau is the BAU's media liaison; she picks out the cases that her team would take. JJ was rarely ever sick, and always showed up for work on time. So, this morning when Agent Hotchner arrived, and saw that she was not in her office, he immediately called her. "JJ?"

"Hotch? What… oh God!" She managed to croak out a sorry.

Hotch knew by the sound of her voice that she had just overslept, nothing was really wrong.

"It's ok JJ, just come over as soon as you can, I'll pick out a case."

"Thanks Hotch"

And with that, she hung up raced to get dressed.

Hotch had finally found a case that look like it was worth a shot. Seven dead, all but one were father and daughter. Each person had an X carved on their foreheads, and a burn of some sort on their necks.

JJ had arrived, and the team headed into the briefing room.

Hotch had gone over most of the victims, but when he reached the last picture, JJ felt like she was going to be sick.

"Thomas Griffin Bradford, 32." Hotch stated as he pointed the photo.

JJ fought with the tears that welled up in her eyes._ Tom… my Tom. _

"The only thing different about him was that he was killed alone, not with a daughter." Hotch added.

Agent Prentiss was the first to comment.

"We should look into his records, to see if he has any children. If he does we may want to bring them here for protection."

"H-here? Why h-here?" JJ stuttered.

"We need to keep them as safe as possible, and as far away from New York as we are permitted." Prentiss replied coolly.

JJ took a deep breath. "I need to do some paper work, call me if you need anything."

And with that she stood up, and headed to her office.

"Ok, who else thinks JJ's acting weird?" Read blurted out.

"Yeah, this case is effecting her… in an odd way." Morgan added. "Garcia, can you look up some information about Thomas Bradford? Records, personal information, anything you can find."

"On it!"

_**An Hour Later**_

Garcia walked swiftly over to Hotchner and Rossi, who were discussing the case.

"Excise me, Sir, I found some information about Mr. Bradford. I… it's… you need to read it for yourself…"

Hotch took the paper and read it over with wide eyes. He was shocked. _JJ? Why didn't she tell us about this?_

"Everyone meeting in the briefing room." He said loud enough for the whole team to hear.

Once they were all gathered together Hotchner explained what Garcia had shown him.

"Thomas did have a daughter. Her name is Shelby. She has been in foster care with the same family for her whole life. She was recently sent to Mt. Horizon high school, for troubled teens. I think it is in her best interest if we bring her here temporarily to keep her safe until we can solve the case."

"Why was she in foster care?" Morgan asked.

Rossi was quick to respond. "Her mother and father were not capable to caring for her. But, they wanted to be able to care for her when she was older, so they didn't put her up for adoption."

"What do you mean when they were older?" Reid asked.

"When Shelby was born. Her mother was 14, and her father was 18." Rossi replied.

JJ froze. _They Knew. They read his file, and now they knew. They would never look at her the same way again. _

"What happened to her mother?" _There that was it. Someone asked the inevitable question. _

Rossi looked at JJ. She knew what he meant. So, she finally spoke.

"Her mother… is, um, I'm her… I'm her mother."

"What?" They all seemed to blurt out.

"When I was 14, I had a baby, and I put her into foster care, with the hope that one day I would be able to take care of her again. About eight weeks ago, Tom called me… He said that Shelby had gotten into some trouble, and that he could control her. He said that she showed up at his house. He tried to take care of her. But, when it became too much, he sent her to a school for problem teenagers. Called Mt. Horizon."

The team was shocked. But, still they tried to be supportive.

"JJ, don't worry. Everything's fine. We'll bring her here. She'll be _safe_." Hotchner said.

JJ looked around the table and saw everyone's looks of encouragement. _It really is going to be ok…_

**At Mt. Horizon**

Peter had asked Shelby to come into his office. When she arrived she was asked to sit down.

"What is it… my captain."

"Shelby, you were informed about your father's death the other day." She ever so slightly flinched at the words.

"Yes. Your point being?"

"The FBI believes that you are in danger, and that you need to be protected until the… killer is found."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"It means that you will be going to Virginia for a while, to stay with your mother."

"My mother doesn't live in Virginia. And you can't make me go there."

"Actually, under the current circumstances we have to make you go. But, Shelby I don't mean your foster mother. I mean your birth mother."

She almost laughed at the words. Her birth mother had never cared before. Why would she want to see her now?

"Well isn't that a surprise. Time for a field trip then?" Shelby commented. Peter knew her walls had gone back up again. He knew this was too much for her right now. She still wouldn't even admit to being abused.

"A car will be here to pick you up tomorrow at eight AM. SO make sure you are ready to go." He added.

"What? Mommy dearest isn't coming?"

"She'll be here too."

"Great." Shelby said sarcastically. _Just… great…_


	2. Control

Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds or Higher Ground… sadly

**Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds or Higher Ground… sadly. If I did own Higher Ground, I would have kept it going for more than one season. **

-This is my first Criminal Minds/Higher Ground fic. So, please review with any suggestions/comments. I love getting reviews Insert Smiley Here!

In season three of Criminal Minds, we discover that JJ has some sort of secret. What if JJ's secret wasn't that she had a secret boyfriend, but that she had a daughter, who she had to put into foster care? Shelby, from Higher Ground, is that daughter. Shelby would have had all the same experiences, only in this fic. Walt and her mother are her foster parents. Shelby knows who her real mother and father are, and it was her real father who sent her to horizon. This is a future fic. That takes place three years after season three. The team doesn't know about JJ's daughter. JJ never got pregnant, and is still single.

A/N: All _italic _words are thoughts.

All _Italic and Underlined_ words are flashbacks.

* * *

**At Mt. Horizon:**

Shelby had packed her bags, and was sitting on her bed in silence. Daisy was the first to wake up and discover her like this. "Shelb, what are you doing?"

"My… mom is coming to get me this morning."

"I see. Are you coming back?"

"I, really, don't know… can you tell everyone I said goodbye?"

"Yeah, this I can do."

Shelby grabbed her bag and headed to the entrance of the school. A huge black SUV was waiting for her. Peter was talking to a tall woman with black hair.

_She looks so pale_. _Is this my mother?_ Shelby thought.

"Uh, Peter."

"Shelby! Meet Agent Prentiss, she is a friend of your mother's." Peter said, walking over to help Shelby with her bags.

"My pleasure." Shelby said with enough sarcasm to make Prentiss raise an eyebrow.

Prentiss smiled at Shelby. She looked a lot like JJ.

Sophie and JJ walked out of the building together. JJ was holding a bunch of papers.

_Oh… this is wonderful. _Shelby thought. _Now she even gets to know all the horrible things I've done. _

JJ looked up and saw Shelby staring at her. She cautiously approached her.

"I would guess that you're my mother." Shelby said.

"If you feel uncomfortable you know with… um… you can call me JJ if it makes it easier." JJ offered.

_Loving the first impression. 'You know with… um…' _ "Yeah, thanks."

_God, she even sounds like JJ! _Prentiss observed.

Then, rather spontaneously, JJ embraced Shelby.

"I'm sorry." She whispered.

Shelby pulled back and stared at the ground. "It's fine. Let's go."

Shelby had been completely silent since they started driving. Prentiss noticed this, but decided not to comment about it.

JJ broke the silence. "Peter showed me your report card from the past couple months. You are doing really well in school."

"Oh, is that what you were holding when you left his office?" Shelby quickly asked.

"Yes. That and your school records from before Mt. Horizon."

"Was that all?"

"Yeah."

_Peter didn't tell her… what I did… why?_ Shelby thought.

Prentiss noticed a rest stop up ahead. "Hey there is a rest stop just up ahead if anyone needs a break."

"Yeah, could we stop really quickly?" Shelby looked out the window. It was starting to snow.

Once the car had stopped, and Shelby was inside the building, Prentiss had the chance to talk to JJ alone.

"So, JJ. Did he say why she was even there?"

She sighed. "No. He said something like 'It's best if _she_ tells you for herself.' I'm worried… a lot of the kids there… they got into some pretty messed up stuff."

"You shouldn't worry too much. But you should talk to her… I have a feeling he may have done this for a reason."

"Yeah, you're probably right." JJ said as the saw Shelby heading back from the restrooms.

**Arriving at Quantico:**

JJ pulled the car up next to the sidewalk. "I'm guessing this is like that FBI place?"

Prentiss laughed softly. "Yeah, this is it."

"Agent Prentiss will take you inside. I'll drop your stuff off at um, the apartment. I'll be back soon." JJ told Shelby, smiling slightly.

"Yeah, ok."

Shelby and Prentiss walked into the building, and went up the elevator. Prentiss showed her into JJ's office. "I'll be right back, I need to make a quick phone call."

Prentiss left, leaving Shelby alone in JJ's office. She peeked out the door and saw a group of people working at their desks. She walked down the ramp and sat at an empty desk. There was a nameplate on top of the computer. _This is that Agent Prentiss' desk. _Shelby put her forehead to the edge of the desk and closed her eyes.

"Hey, JJ. You're back already?" Shelby heard a young man yell. _Oh, she's back. _

"JJ. You awake?" He asked again.

_Is he talking to me? _

"Um, JJ's not here right now." She said without lifting her head up.

"Ehy, come on now girl. What's wrong?"

"Seriously? More than you know."

Prentiss walked in, and saw Morgan sitting next to Shelby, who had re-located to her desk.

"Shelby! I thought I asked you to stay in your mother's office."

Shelby lifted her head up. "Oh, right." She said as she stood up.

Morgan was dumbstruck. _Oh, so this is JJ's kid. "_I'm sorry, You look exactly like your mother ya know?" He defended.

"Yeah, I realize."

"I'm Agent Morgan. But you an call me Derek."

"Heh, ok. Derek." She said in a tone that was almost seductive.

"I'll introduce you to the rest of the team." Prentiss said, leading Shelby in the direction of Reid's desk.

"Reid. I have someone I think you would like to meet." She said gesturing to Shelby. "Shelby, this is Dr. Reid. Reid, this is JJ's daughter Shelby."

"Oh, i-it's nice to meet you Shelby."

"Likewise."

Prentiss smiled at Reid before heading to Garcia's office.

"I'm giving Shelby the grand-tour. JJ's just dropping some stuff off at her apartment. She should be back pretty soon."

Reid nodded, still a bit shocked. Once again, Prentiss lead Shelby in the direction of Garcia's office. When Prentiss opened the door, Shelby saw an array of huge computers. As she scanned the different screens, she saw that her name was being typed into a search engine of sorts.

"Hey!" She yelled. "What are you doing?" Garcia had clicked enter before she realized they were in her office. When Shelby's picture popped up on screen, she freaked out. Leaping towards the power outlets, she ripped the cords from their sockets. The screens went black.

"Oh my God!" Prentiss and Garcia stammered at the same time. Neither of them had expected her to react like this. Shelby started to tear, and tried to bolt from the office. Morgan was standing with Reid just outside the door, and caught her in his arms.

"Whoa, hey. It's ok. It's OK." He said as she struggled in his grasp. JJ had walked in just in time to see all the commotion.

"What's going on?" She yelled, running over to the pair.

Garcia had a hand over her mouth. It was easy to tell that she blamed herself for this. Reid's mouth was hanging open, and Prentiss just looked concerned. Once Shelby had calmed down a bit, Morgan released her. JJ pulled her into a hug, and led her into her office, where she sat her down at her desk. After a minute of awkward silence, JJ spoke.

"Do you want to tell me what happened?"

"I… unplugged that woman's computers."

JJ let out a breath of air. Disbelieving.

"Why would you do that? You don't know what could have happened."

"She pulled up my records. I saw it on her screen!" Shelby whispered through tears.

JJ placed her hand on Shelby's and sighed. "I understand. Garcia… Agent Garcia was only doing that… for me. I asked her to."

"What?" Shelby stammered.

"I am concerned about you. I needed to know if… what you did was serious. Peter, your councilor wouldn't tell me."

"And you thought that was the solution? Of course you did." Shelby looked out the window.

"You didn't seem to be in a sharing mood. It's not like you plan on telling me." JJ almost yelled.

"That's right! And I don't have to either! It's my business. Just leave me alone."

"I can't do that. Your business is now federal business. We are investigating a homicide. You are a potential victim. So we need to know everything about you. Anything might be helpful."

"My past won't _help _you. I just want to be left alone."

"Fine!" JJ pushed her chair out and quickly left the room.

_What am I doing? This isn't right. This is __**not**__ how I should be behaving. _JJ knew that she needed to be the adult here. But she was 29; she shouldn't have to be dealing with this sort of thing. Prentiss, Reid, Morgan and Garcia were all standing around Garcia's office. They seemed to be waiting for JJ to come over to them.

"JJ…" No one knew exactly what to say.

Morgan was the first to walk up to her. She looked like she might burst into tears at any moment. Instinctively, he wrapped his arms around her.

"Don't worry JJ. We are all here for you. We will all help you get through this. You're not in it alone."

* * *

A/N: You should expect to see some more JJ/Shelby mother/daughter relationship growth, and some Shelby/Morgan friendship later on.


	3. Run Away Little Girl

Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds or Higher Ground… sadly

**Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds or Higher Ground… sadly. If I did own Higher Ground, I would have kept it going for more than one season. **

-This is my first Criminal Minds/Higher Ground fic. So, please review with any suggestions/comments. I love getting reviews!

_**-A/N So sorry for the late update. I had been trapped in a barren and desolate place for the past two weeks… meaning no technology. I don't know how I survived! **_

In season three of Criminal Minds, we discover that JJ has some sort of secret. What if JJ's secret wasn't that she had a secret boyfriend, but that she had a daughter, who she had to put into foster care? Shelby, from Higher Ground, is that daughter. Shelby would have had all the same experiences, only in this fic. Walt and her mother are her foster parents. Shelby knows who her real mother and father are, and it was her real father who sent her to horizon. This is a future fic. That takes place three years after season three. The team doesn't know about JJ's daughter. JJ never got pregnant, and is still single.

-All _italic _words are thoughts.

-All _Italic and Underlined_ words are flashbacks.

**In a dimly lit room: **

A man was hunched over in a chair, fiddling with an old picture.

"How could you leave me? I need you…" He mumbled.

He stood up and brushed his hair back with his hands. Revealing a picture of a ten-year old Shelby.

_My Shelby… come back to me… _

He reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a large knife.

_I will have you… I will find you. _

**Later that Evening, at Quantico: **

JJ, Prentiss, Reid, Morgan and the rest of the team were sitting around the table in the briefing room, discussing Shelby, and the rest of the case.

"You know, what I don't get is why she doesn't want anyone to know what she did. Why she was sent to Mt. Horizon I mean. It's not like no one knows. Peter, the head of the school does." JJ said.

"It's because she needs someone to respect her. To not look at her and just she what she did." Rossi knew that JJ was really just hurt that Shelby hadn't shared her story with her. (He and Hotchner were filled in on what had happened earlier that day.)

"Um, I searched though every possibly link that the victims could have had with each other. There is nothing sir. No evidence that they even knew each other." Penelope said uneasily.

"Maybe it's not about who they were. Maybe it's about what they looked like to him." Reid said, frowning slightly.

"Go on." Morgan thought he might be onto something.

"Middle aged fathers, and their teenaged daughters. All the daughters were average height, and between the ages of 15 and 17. Maybe it has to with the un-sub's relationship with someone who reminds him of the victims." Hotch raised an eyebrow.

"Do we all agree? Since the father's height and features varied, as we saying that the un-sub is targeting blonde teenaged girls between the ages of 15 and 17?" Rossi asked the team.

"Then why would he kill Mr. Bradford?"

"Oh, my." Garcia had realized what the whole team was thinking.

"It's about Shelby. The un-sub knew that Mr. Bradford was Shelby's father." Morgan breathed.

"No… does that mean… that he'll be looking for Shelby?" JJ started to panic.

"JJ, can you set up a press conference? We'll have to have it broadcasted to the cities where the murders took place. Morgan, I need you to stay close to Shelby, and make sure she is safe at all times. Don't let her leave your sight. And JJ, don't worry. Shelby will be ok. We won't let anything happen to her." Hotch stood up, and grabbed a couple files off of the table.

"I'll get right on it." JJ hurried to her office, trying to relax.

The rest of the team looked out onto the bullpen, where Shelby was spinning around on Reid's chair.

"She's probably hungry… I'll see if she wants to get something to eat." Morgan said before heading towards Shelby's spinning blur. Morgan put a hand on Shelby's shoulder, and she immediately stopped spinning.

"Yea?"

"Do you want to grab a bite to eat?"

"I guess. Sure."

Morgan easily convinced JJ to join them, although she had insisted on pizza. The restaurant was almost completely empty, save for a young couple sitting together on the other side of the room. Shelby sat down opposite to JJ and Morgan. JJ knew what she wanted to ask. The voice in her head was screaming it. _What happened to you!_ But, she remained completely silent. Morgan broke the silence with a sigh, as the menus were brought over.

"Thanks." He smiled at the waitress, who immediately blushed and hurried away.

"Must you flirt with _every _woman you see?" JJ commented.

Shelby laughed a little bit, and JJ smiled, looking at the menu.

"So. You're in the FBI." _Go Figure. _Shelby commented.

"Yeah. I love it though. It's not what I wanted to do at first though."

"Do tell."

"When I was in high school, me and my closest friends wanted to be professional soccer players. We loved the sport; actually it's the sports scholarship that let us go to college."

"And then what… discover some secret passion for fighting crime?"

"Something like that." JJ smiled as she spoke. "What about you?"

"Sorry?"

"What's your story?"

"Uh. Well I guess you know the first part. I've lived in the same place my whole life. My Dada died when I was five or six, and a year or so later Mom re-married… there isn't much else there."

JJ thought about how she referred to her adoptive parents as Mom and Dad. _Of course she would. They raised her! What was I expecting?_

"Who did your… _mom_ re-marry?"

Shelby inwardly shuddered. _Walt… _

"His name is… Walt." She almost choked on his name. _Stop it Shelby! That's over. It's OVER! You don't have to see him ever again if you don't want to. _Lost in her own thoughts, she hadn't heard Morgan ask her a question.

"Shelby? Hey, kid." Morgan shook her shoulder a little. Jolting her back to reality.

"Oh! Sorry…"

"Don't worry about it. I just asked how school was going." He added.

"Just wonderful." She said sarcastically. _Sure, it's better then home… but who the hell likes being stuck in a place where you can't grab a cup of coffee every once in a while. Or grab a smoke when you get that craving. God I missed that…_

"What made you decide to go Mt. Horizon?" JJ blurted out.

"What? _Decide?_ Seriously? Who in the HELL would freaking _decide_ to go to a place like that!" Shelby now knew why they had been pestering her.

"If you didn't decide to go… then, why?" JJ almost whispered.

"You don't want to know."

"Sweetie. I do. You can trust me with this. I'm not going to hate you. Nothing you could have done would ever make hate you." JJ cooed.

_Yeah, there is._

"Why are you intent on knowing every single detail of my life?" Shelby staid coldly, then she stood up. Morgan was the first one to react to this. "Calm down, Shelby. She was just asking. Sit back down."

She turned her head away, and quickly scooted out of the booth, she was out of the restaurant moments later. Morgan and JJ jumped up and hurried after her. Morgan was the first to catch up to her. He gently grabbed her shoulders and pulled her to a halt.

"Hey! You can't just take off like that Shelby." He spun her around and pulled her towards where JJ was standing.

"Let go of me!" She yelled.

"Shelby, if what you did is _that_ bad, then you need to tell me." JJ said walking towards her. Morgan was still holding her shoulders, and Shelby was frowning at the ground.

"I don't want to…"

"You need to." Morgan whispered.

"We should talk about this back at head quarters. It's… quieter there." JJ added, before leading the way to the car.

-

**Back at Headquarters:**

"Can I use the bathroom really quickly?" Shelby asked JJ.

"Yeah, that's fine."

Shelby rushed to the bathroom, and locked the door. She slowly sank to her knees.

_What am I going to do? She'll never look at me the same… I don't want to know what she is going to think? Who would want me for a daughter? I am disgusting! _

She looked around the room, and saw a small window above the sink. Climbing on top of it, she pushed the window open and squeezed outside.


	4. Lost and Found

Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds or Higher Ground… sadly

**Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds or Higher Ground… sadly. If I did own Higher Ground, I would have kept it going for more than one season. **

-This is my first Criminal Minds/Higher Ground fic. So, please review with any suggestions/comments. I love getting reviews!

_**-A/N So sorry for the late update. I had been trapped in a barren and desolate place for the past two weeks… meaning no technology. I don't know how I survived! **_

In season three of Criminal Minds, we discover that JJ has some sort of secret. What if JJ's secret wasn't that she had a secret boyfriend, but that she had a daughter, who she had to put into foster care? Shelby, from Higher Ground, is that daughter. Shelby would have had all the same experiences, only in this fic. Walt and her mother are her foster parents. Shelby knows who her real mother and father are, and it was her real father who sent her to horizon. This is a future fic. That takes place three years after season three. The team doesn't know about JJ's daughter. JJ never got pregnant, and is still single.

-All _italic _words are thoughts.

-All _Italic and Underlined_ words are flashbacks.

**A/N: Sorry for the late update on the previous chapter… classes had just started. And thanks to all of my reviewers for all of your support!!**

"She had been in the restroom for a while now… maybe you should go see if everything is ok." Morgan noticed that JJ was looking really nervous.

"Yeah, that's a good idea." She replied before slipping out of her seat and rushing off to the bathroom.

"Shelby?" JJ knocked on the door. There was no reply.

"Is everything alright?" Still nothing.

Morgan walked over. "I'm going to kick the door down if you don't respond." He said through the keyhole.

"Three. Two. One," At that he swung his foot forward, and the door swung inward.

"She's… not here." JJ said to no one in particular.

-

**Somewhere in the woods:**

"This is great… just perfect! Now I am right back where I started… homeless and alone. WHY does she need me to tell her so badly?" She was screaming at the top of her lungs. Trying to find some way… any way, to make everything disappear.

It had started to get dark, Shelby was curled up against a tree, sobbing and screaming.

She lay there for several hours, and began to think. She started to think about Walt, and what he had done to her. Why she made herself run away.

Suddenly, she stood up and started punching the tree as hard as she could, she didn't think about the pain. All she knew was what he did to her, how he destroyed her. She couldn't feel, couldn't see, all she could do was scream, scream and punch.

Finally, she sank to her knees, and just cried.

-

**At the Headquarters: **

"Where would she go?" JJ started to panic.

Hotch entered the room holding some papers. "Garcia, contact Mr. Scarborough and tell him what happened. Maybe he knows where she might run to."

"Yes sir."

_Several Minutes Later…_

"Sir, I was able to get in contact with Mr. Scarborough. He said that, she would try to run to a place where she could escape from us. Most likely somewhere that she wouldn't think we would look. It's different with Shelby… he said that unlike most teenagers, she isn't running away to get attention. She actually wants to get away." Garcia reported.

"Hmm… her school was up in the mountains… perhaps she went into the woods?" Reed offered.

"Get ready… Vans leave in five." Rossi ordered the team.

-

**Back in the Woods Somewhere: **

After a couple minutes, she heard footsteps close by. Not thinking, she started to run, crashing into branches and bristles as she moved. The tears came again, and the world started to spin. She didn't care. She just kept running.

Just as she thought she was about to drop, she felt warm arms slip around her waist and pull her to a stop.

"Shelby! Shelby stop! It's ok. Shhhh. Everything will be ok." Agent Prentiss still held onto her, not daring to let go.

The rest of the team had caught up by now. All sighing in relief, when they saw her safe in Prentiss' arms.

Shelby closed her eyes, and let herself be pulled to the left, towards everyone else, slowly drifting into unconsciousness.

-

Prentiss felt the weight on her arms increase, and she struggled to keep Shelby upright. Morgan rushed over, and picked Shelby up. He carried her back to the SUV's with the rest of the team. JJ had to stay at Headquarters with Penelope, because this had become a little too personal for her; although she was allowed to stay on the case.

-

Shelby woke up to find herself in a small room, lying on a bed. Her hands had been bandaged, but they hurt like hell. She sat up, suddenly remembering what had happened.

_Oh crap._

She stood up and walked to the door.

"Is anyone there?"

She turned the knob; it wasn't locked.

JJ, Morgan and Prentiss were sitting at their desks, their attention now on Shelby.

"You're awake!" JJ said rushing over.

"Shelby, come sit down. We need to explain something to you." Emily said as politely as possible.

Shelby shuffled over and sat down in one of the desk chairs.

"The thing is, the person who killed your father… he is the type of person who needs to finish things. Which means he won't stop unless he finds you… or we find him. We aren't positive, but whatever you are hiding… it could be the missing link. It could be something that connects all of the victims."

"It wouldn't connect them..." Shelby was really frustrated.

"Why don't you let us be the judges of that." Morgan offered.

"You are acting as if it means nothing! It's not nothing…" Anger resonated in her voice.

"Shelby, you can tell me. I promise, nothing you say could ever make me love you any less…" JJ spoke for the first time.

_Love?_

Her voice was almost a whisper. "When I was fourteen… I started running away. At first… it was really hard. I had no money… no place to stay… I slept under this bridge for the first couple weeks…"

_I can't tell them… what the hell am I doing?_

"Um…and then and then I was sent to Horizon."

Prentiss smiled and patted Shelby on the back, before hurrying off to the meeting room. Morgan flashed her a concerned look, and calmly walked in behind her. JJ stood up and pulled a chair next to Shelby.

"You did great. I know how hard that must have been for you."

"Yeah, thanks."

"You know… it's not that bad. What you did. It must have been horrible though. Having to live like that. How long were you, um…"

"On the streets? About a year or so."

Then JJ leaned over and hugged Shelby. It was quick, but it said everything.

-

**In a Dark Room: **

The man smiled widely, as pictures of Shelby started to develop beneath the water.

"So… Quantico? I knew that having you followed was the right thing to do." He closed his eyes and whispered, "I've got you now."

He stood up, and grabbed a small, black duffle bag off of the floor, before heading towards the door.

-

**Back at Quantico In the Meeting Room:**

"She didn't tell us everything. But, it was clear that she desperately wants to." Morgan stated.

"Do you think she was threatened?" Rossi asked.

"No, it did seem like she was afraid to tell us. But, she was definitely holding back on her own accord." Prentiss added.

"She'll open up soon. That poor girl." The team noticed that Garcia had been standing at the doorway.

"That she will. But for now, we need to be as supportive as possible. At the same time, she needs to understand that we are here to protect her, and that running away can only hurt her." Hotch stated.

Shelby was sitting in JJ's office looking out the window when she saw him. She thought it was an illusion, a trick of the mind. But no, there he was, smiling up at her. She saw him mouth the words "Hello Kitten," and then she blinked… and he was gone. Shelby stared blankly out the window before curling up into the fetal position, and starting to silently cry. _How could he possibly know I was here? No one but the team should know that! What if one of them told him… what if… _

Suddenly, Morgan walked into the room. Seeing Shelby looking so horribly vulnerable tore at his heart. Unsure of what to do, he simply sat down next to her, and gave her shoulder a small pat, telling her that he was there.


	5. Slipping into the Darkness

**A/N: Note that the ages in my fictional story don't really make sense for the characters in the show… but that's how I decided to have it work… also, I forgot to mention that Walt didn't go to jail. He had been best friends with the judge on the trial, and had a good lawyer. **

Walt was sitting in his car, staring at the FBI headquarters. Moments earlier he had placed several bombs around the building; he had the detonator safely stored in his coat pocket. He pulled out a tranquilizer gun, and started towards the entrance.

**In the building…**

Garcia and the rest of the team were in the conference room with the blinds closed, leaving Shelby alone.

Walt had taken out the security cameras, and the guards, giving him easy access to the offices. When he pushed his way through the glass doors that lead to the team's floor, Shelby stood up. She looked like she was about to pass out.

"Shhh. Shelby. Don't scream. Don't move." His voice was almost a whisper.

"Walt…" She forced herself to spit out his name.

"I know what you did kitten. I saw your school records."  
"W-what do you mean." She was starting to cry.

"You hoar! You sold yourself to other men! You were only supposed to be mine!" He glided forward, and pushed her hair behind her ear.

He leaned in and breathed, "Come with me. Or they will all die."

He showed her the detonator.

"If I go with you, you will kill them anyways."

"Kitten. I would never do that. I would never lie to you."

"You lied about Jess! You said you wouldn't touch her if I never told!"

"That was different… I didn't think you would leave me."

He grabbed her arm, and started to lead her out of the building. Shelby felt numb. It was happening all over again. Her life was truly over.

"Hey!" Shelby heard Morgan's voice.

"What are you doing?" Prentiss yelled.

The team head left the conference room.

"Shelby who is that?" JJ asked. Morgan and Prentiss had their guns raised.

"Don't come any closer. One more step, and I'll blow this building sky high." Walt waved the detonator in the air.

"Shelby," he said, "Come with me. You know you deserve to die. What you did is unforgivable."

"What is he talking about Shelby?" JJ took a step forward.

"Please don't…"

"Don't what kitten? Tell them what a disgusting waste of life you are? How you sold yourself for money?"

JJ froze. The rest of the team hesitated. _Is that what she was hiding? _

"I didn't have a choice! There wasn't any other option!"

"You could have come back to me. I still loved you."

"If you cared about me at _all _you would have left Jess alone! She was just a kid!"

"You were too. But I always loved you the most. I always thought about you, and how you were so good at keeping secrets."

"I didn't I told!" She had started to cry.

"But it was too late… you ran from me, and left your sister. I had no other choice. Just come with me. You know you deserve to be punished."

"Don't listen to him Shelby." JJ yelled.

"But… it's true…. I do deserve to die…" Her voice was almost a whisper, and her mind was flashing back to all the horrible things she had done.

"Shelby, listen to me. You don't deserve to die. You were right, there was no other option. After what he did to you, you couldn't go back home. You did what you had to do to keep yourself safe." Morgan said.

"Come now Shelby, be a good girl. I _know _you. I know you better than any of them ever will. You have to trust me on that." Walt slowly pulled Shelby down the stairs, shouting a number of threats at the remaining agents.

Once they were in the car he kissed Shelby on the cheek and whispered, "That's right kitten, you're mine again."

"I'll never be _yours _Walt."

He started the car and sped off down the street. Shelby stared out the window and closed her eyes.

**At Headquarters:**

"Everybody out! Hurry!" Hotch ordered.

The team raced down the stairs and out the door, but Walt and Shelby were long gone. Morgan and Prentiss took a van and started to search for their vehicle, while JJ and the rest of the team waited for the bomb squad to arrive.

Suddenly JJ's phone started to ring.

"Agent Jareau." She picked it up.

"Hello, I am calling because I think I see someone who might be involved with the murders that have been going on. I saw the media broadcast on my television." The woman said.

"Ok, can you describe the person to me?"

"He is tall, and looks to be in his late 50's. He has a girl with him, and she seems very upset. She is making quite a fuss. I just want to make sure that this isn't the person we've all been hearing to much about…"

"Thank you very much for your call. This person does match our description. I need you to remain inside of your home, but don't alert anyone, or cause a disruption. We need him to think his plan is going to work."

"I understand."

"Can you tell me their location?"

"Yes, on Millbrook road, they just went into this abandoned hospital."

"Thank you." JJ hung up the phone.

Turning back to the team she said, "The abandoned hospital on Millbrook road." (_**NOTE: I DO NOT KNOW IF THERE IS A HOSPITAL ON ANY MILLBROOK ROAD, THIS PLACE IS FICTIONAL.) **_

"Call Morgan and Prentiss and fill them in. Lets get moving people." Rossi yelled.


	6. Trapped

**Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds or Higher Ground… sadly**

**Authors Note: A big thanks to the reviewers of the previous chapter. Again, if you enjoy a chapter/just want to comment, it's really nice to see your responses! Thanks, and enjoy the chapter! **

**WARNING: This chapter contains strong sexual content, reference to suicide, and self-mutilation. RATED M… **

**In the Hospital:**

Walt was dragging a blindfolded Shelby up the stairs to the roof of the hospital. He opened the door and pushed her forward. Shelby walked forwards, took off her blindfold, and peered over the edge. Her eyes started to water.

"I… I changed my mind… I can't." She whispered.

"Sorry, it's too late kitten. If you can't do it yourself, then I'll do it for you."

"Please! Walt, I just want to go home…" She pleaded.

"What home? You can't come back to live with us. And, do you think that woman _wants_ you? She has her own life. You have already torn it apart enough." He spat.

Shelby turned around and faced him. She closed her eyes and started to back up towards the edge of the building. Suddenly Shelby sprinted forwards and knocked him over. She ripped open the door to the stairs and started to run.

"Dammit! **Shelby!!!**" Walt roared.

She reached the end of the stairs and opened the door. The hallway was dark, and there were any number of doors along the walls. She ran down the hall until she found the door to the bathroom. She burst in and curled up in one of the stalls. Meanwhile, Walt too had reached the end of the staircase.

"Shelby." He yelled.

"Where are you? Please, baby. Look, I'm sorry. Just come out. Everything will be all right. I promise."

Shelby covered her mouth, and rested her head on her knees. Trying desperately not to scream. After a few seconds, she realized that she needed to find a more discreet hiding place. She looked up, and saw an air vent.

* * *

**In The Van**:

Morgan, Prentiss, Hotchner, Rossi and Reid were racing down the streets of Quantico. Their GPS system told them that they were 30 minutes away from the hospital. Garcia was on the phone.

"Did you get those records I asked for Garcia?" Hochner asked.

"Yeah, I looked up everyone who has any documented relation to Shelby by the name of Walt, and your not going to believe this. But he is her foster stepfather. Charges were filed against him for molestation, but he was apparently proven innocent." She replied.

"Thanks Garcia." He hung up.

* * *

Shelby had climbed into the air vent, and was now crawling through the small tunnel.

"Ok, breathe Shelby, breathe. It's fine… everything is just fine." She whispered to herself.

She could hear Walt's angry curses as he unsuccessfully searched the hospital for her.

"**Shelby! Get the fuck down here! Right now!**" He yelled.

Shelby realized that she was lying in a vent that was directly above him.

"Come on now, I thought we had reached an understanding kitten. You must see how I could be upset with you."

The ceiling cracked.

Walt looked up and smiled, he could see the outline of the air vent starting to push through. Shelby started shaking. She tried to move, but her jeans were stuck on something sharp.

The vent tore through the ceiling, just barely holding itself up.

Walt smiled, "There you are. I was beginning to get worried."

He reached into the broken vent, and dragged Shelby out by her hair. He threw her onto the floor. She landed on her wrist, and screamed in pain. Walt knelt down beside her, and grabbed the back of her neck.

"I want to love you one last time."

He picked her up, and walked her into an empty examination room. He laid her down on the bed. And started to take off her clothes.

"Walt… don't."

"Shh… you know you want it."

He unbuttoned her shirt, and proceeded to do the same with her jeans. Walt unzipped his pants, and climbed on top of her.

**SHELBY POV. **

I was screaming inside, no matter how hard I tried to push him away, he would only come back. I felt him take off his pants, and boxers. His skin was cold against mine. I felt sick. I didn't want him to touch me. I felt his hands move up my chest, and unclip my bra. I kneed him hard in his groin when he licked my chest. He yelled, and leapt off the bed. I tried to get up, but found that my feet were tied to the bedposts. I saw him reach into his bag, and pull out something. I couldn't tell what it was in the dark, but I started to claw at the ropes. Walt slammed me back onto the bed. The ropes had started to cut into my skin. His hands trailed down my back. The tips of his fingers slowly pulled off my underwear. I squirmed underneath him. Then I felt him inside me. It was all happening again, the horror that was the past eight years of my life. I sank inside my self. He pulled out of me, and stood up. I heard the zip of his pants. I felt a knife cut the ropes around my feet loose.

**End Shelby POV. **

Walt picked Shelby's clothes off of the floor and walked over to her. He carefully put them back on her and picked her up.

"Are you ready now Shelby?" He whispered.

She could only nod her head.

Walt dropped her back onto the floor near the air vent and sat down next to her. He handed her the large pocketknife that was in his pocket.

"Finish it Shelby." His lips touched her ear.

"P-please… I-I can't… help, someone, oh God…" Shelby was in hysterics.

"Do it dammti!" Walt placed the knife in her left hand, and moved it over her right wrist.

"There is nothing that this world can give you but pain. And the only people left for you know your secret. They might pretend to care, to love you. But in truth they are disgusted by your presence. And more than anything they will wish that you didn't exist." He placed his free hand on her leg.

Shelby took the knife in one hand, and slashed her other wrist. Then she repeated the action with her other wrist. She had no emotion, the world around her had started to become fuzzy and distorted. The last thing she saw before closing her eyes was Walt's face, her blood spattered across his wicked smile.

Suddenly, she heard a voice.

"Shelby!" Someone yelled.

It sounded like a woman. She heard footsteps, and shouting. Then nothing.

* * *

Thanks again to my reviewers, for making writing this worthwhile.

Until next time,

-PoWriter


	7. I Just Want to Hold You

**Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds or Higher Ground… sadly**

**Authors Note: A big thanks to the reviewers of the previous chapter. Again, if you enjoy a chapter/just want to comment, it's really nice to see your responses! Thanks, and enjoy the chapter! **

**Authors Note: I realize that this is a very fast update… but I feel it would be unusually cruel for me not to put this up as soon as possible… ENJOY! **

The team had arrived at the hospital. Prentiss was in the lead as the jumped out of the SUV and sprinted into the hospitals doors. They split up and searched through the long corridors that weaved their way through the building.

Agent Prentiss was the first one to spot them.

"Shelby!" She yelled.

Walt stood up from his position next to her just as Morgan, Rossi, Hotch and Reid appeared from around the corner. He turned around and bolted towards the staircase, the team, sans Reid and Morgan chasing after him.

"Shelby, Shelby can you hear me." Morgan held her face in his hands.

"Reid call an ambulance, I'll try to stop the bleeding." He said as he held her wrists tightly in each hand.

Reid flipped his phone out of his pocket and dialed 911.

"This is Agent Reid of the BAU, I need an ambulance, the abandoned hospital on Millbrook Road. Yes. As soon as possible." He closed his phone, and took off his sweater, using it to tie up the wounds on Shelby's wrists.

"You're gonna be ok Shelby." He said.

Rossi, Prentiss and Hotchner were running up the stairs after Walt. He had made it to the roof.

"Freeze!" Hotch yelled.

"Put your hands up."

Walt smiled and turned around, just inches away from the edge.

"Walt, don't do this. I know what your thinking, but don't." Rossi tried to reason with him.

"My Shelby is gone now, I have nothing left here... I really do care about her. I just want to be with her again."

Rossi was disgusted by this man, but he knew he had to try and keep him alive. "If you care about her, at all, you will come off of that ledge, and do the only good thing you will ever do for her."

"Fine." He whispered. "You Win."

Walt took a step backwards and let himself fall off the roof.

"Dammit!" Prentiss cursed, as she put her gun away.

Rossi stepped forward and peered over the edge. Walt's body could be seen. He was quite clearly dead.

They heard sirens in the distance. Then, remembering Shelby they raced back downstairs.

"What happened?" Rossi asked.

"She's losing a lot of blood. An ambulance is on its way." Reid replied, not diverting his attention from Shelby's wrists.

"Come on baby girl, stay with me." Morgan breathed.

The sirens stopped, and voices could be heard from down the hall.

"Over here!" Hotch yelled. "Quickly!"

Shelby was carefully lifted onto a stretcher, where they applied proper coverage to her wrists, before racing off back to the ambulance.

* * *

**At the Hospital:**

Shelby awoke to find herself lying in a comfortable hospital bed. She blinked a couple times, and allowed her eyes to adjust to the light. Rolling over on her side, she saw JJ fiddling with her hands.

JJ looked up. "Shelby!"

She stood up and moved her chair closer to the bed. "It's ok. Your safe now."

"I'm sorry…" Shelby whispered.

"Shh sweetie, you don't have anything to apologies for."

"I guess you know everything now." She turned her head to the ceiling.

"Yeah. I do." JJ smiled at Shelby and gently held her hand.

"What about… Walt. What happened?" Shelby asked.

"He's dead Shelby. He killed himself."

Shelby closed her eyes. She felt a wave of security brush over her.

"I didn't want to lie to you."

"I know."

"It's just, I couldn't tell you! I was so embarrassed, and ashamed of myself. I'm disgusting." She said as she clenched one of her fists.

"Don't so this to yourself Shelby! You are not disgusting. You have nothing to be ashamed about either. _He_ did this to you. _He_ is the disgusting one. But he is gone now, you have nothing to be afraid of." JJ looked at Shelby's hand.

"I can't believe it's all over. He has been there for as long as I can remember." Shelby's eyes started to water.

JJ leaned in closer and grasped Shelby's hands in hers. "Thing's are going to be different now. You don't have to be afraid anymore."

Shelby smiled as she sat up in her bed, and hugged JJ. She was at first surprised by the gesture, but then, beaming hugged her back even tighter.

Suddenly JJ's phone rang. "You'd better get that." Shelby said, wiping a tear from under her eye.

JJ stood up, and briefly walked into the hallway. "Jareau. Hey Garcia. No, I haven't told her yet. Yeah, I thought it would be better to tell her when she got out of the hospital. Are almost here? Great! I'll see you soon."

She snapped her phone shut, and glided back to Shelby's side.

"Who was that?"

"That was Agent Garcia, you met her the other day."

"I remember her."

"She is coming with the rest of the team to see you. They should be here pretty soon." JJ said.

Shelby smiled at the thought of people caring about her, and wanting to visit her. Maybe things were finally starting to look up.

The team arrived shortly thereafter, and everyone gathered around the bed to wish her well. No one mentioned her wrists, or the horrifying evidence that was discovered in one of the examination rooms. Nor did they bring up the subject of where she would be staying. This was time for her to recover, and to simply feel happy.

* * *

**Thanks again to my reviewers. I know this chapter was a little short, but I wanted to update as soon as I felt it was decent enough.**

**Until next time, **

**-PoWriter  
**


	8. Welcome Home?

**Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds or Higher Ground… sadly**

**Authors Note: A big thanks to the reviewers of the previous chapter. Again, if you enjoy a chapter/just want to comment, it's really nice to see your responses! Thanks, and enjoy the chapter!**

**A/N: Please review!!!! Unless of course you already do review, in which case, thank you very much for your continued support! **

**

* * *

****At the Hospital:**

It had been two days since Shelby was checked in. JJ was sitting quietly outside Shelby's room, when a nurse approached her.

"Miss. Jareau?" She asked

"Yes?"

"I assume you are aware of the extents of your daughters injuries." She said quietly.

JJ's expression sunk, "Yes, I am aware."

"Her Doctor thought it might be a good idea to schedule some sort of psychiatrist to speak with her at some point."

"I had planned to have her meet with someone already… what she went through… It's going to take her some time to move on, to heal." She looked up at the woman.

"Very good dear. In that case, would you mind signing her release forms?" She smiled.

JJ took the folder and started filling out the required information.

When she was finished, she told Shelby that they would be leaving soon. She was currently pacing back and forth outside of Shelby's room, waiting for her to change into some clean clothes. When she was finished, JJ re-entered the room.

"So, where am I going to go now? Back to school?" Shelby asked.

"No, but we can talk more about that later. For now we should just get back to my apartment."

"Fine… where's the rest of the team?"

"They had to get back to the headquarters. There is an important new case they had to get started on." JJ brushed her hair back, and faced Shelby. "Ready to go?"

"Yep, lead the way." She gestured towards the door.

JJ and Shelby arrived back at the apartment, and sat down in the living room. The chairs were placed on a slight diagonal, but still faced each other. There was a wooden coffee table in between them. Shelby was the first to break the silence. "So, about where I will be staying, I kind of want to know what's going to happen to me."

"Shelby, earlier today when you were asleep, I called the agency that placed you with the Merrick's. They told me that you had been released from their custody, and that if I wanted I could be given custody of you again."

Shelby didn't say anything. Her eyes seemed to be searching through her mind, to tell her what this would mean for her, and her future.

"I told them that I would accept custody of you again, if that's ok with you." JJ added.

"Yeah, that would be nice." Shelby responded.

JJ smiled and jumped up from her seat, giving Shelby a massive hug. Shelby hugged her back, but inside she was screaming. In that very moment, she knew that she had left her whole world behind. Scott, Daisy, Peter… and she wasn't sure if she was ready for that just yet.

"I'll show you your room! You can decorate it however you want. It's yours now."

JJ led Shelby down the small hallway, and opened the door to her room. It was small, but not too small. There was a decently sized window next to a twin-sized bed. Shelby could see the fire escape staircase through the gray tinted glass. Her bedside table was square, and had a small lamp onto of it. In the corner of the room was a small desk, the perfect size for a high school student.

"Do you like it?"

"It's amazing, thank you so much!" Shelby smiled at JJ.

"Well, I'll let you get settled. If you need anything, I'll be in the kitchen. Does pizza sound good for dinner?"

"Yeah, pizza is great… thanks."

JJ quietly left the room, so Shelby could get comfortable.

_I wonder what Scott is doing right now? _She thought. Shelby found herself the need to write him a letter, to tell him everything. He deserved that much.

She sat down at her desk and pulled out one of the drawers. Inside was a stationary kit and a box of pens. She grabbed a sheet of paper and started writing. She explained everything to him. Every last detail from when she left horizon, to where she was sitting now. She told him that she missed him more than anything, and couldn't bear not being with him. Before she sealed the envelope, she signed it. _Love Always, Shelby. _

"Shelby, the pizza is here." JJ popped her head through the door.

"Great, I'll be out in just a second." She put the envelope underneath her mattress, and walked into the kitchen.

"Garcia wanted to come by for dinner if that's all right with you. The rest of the team had to leave on an assignement." JJ was trying her best to make Shelby feel more at ease in her new home. But, she had never done the mom thing before.

"Sure, that would be fun. Hey could I take a breather outside for a second?"

"Ok, um, just make sure that you come back upstairs by the time Garcia gets here."

"Yep, I'll see you in a bit." Shelby said, before racing into her room and grabbing the envelope from under her mattress.

She pulled her sweatshirt over her head, and quickly walked out the door. She searched the first floor of the building until she found the outgoing mail slot. Trying her best to be discrete, she slipped the envelope through and headed outside.

The cool night air engulfed Shelby as she stepped out the doors. She could just barely see the glint of the first stars in the sky.

"Shelby! Hey! Is that you?" She heard someone call.

Shelby turned to her left, and saw a woman walking towards her. She was wearing a pink blouse with black spots, and a frilly dark blue skirt that reached just above her ankles. Her shoes were bright green pumps. _Whoa. _She thought. _Does she dress like that all the time?_

"Hey Garcia."

"Hey. How are you?"

"Good… I'll take you upstairs."

When they got to the apartment, Garcia was greeted with a hug, and dragged into the kitchen. The three sat down at the table and started to devour the gooey pizza that lay before them. The truth was, JJ had begged Garcia to come over. She needed help getting Shelby settled, and just to be there for the first night.

"How are you doing Shelby?" Garcia asked.

"I'm fine. Thanks."

"Are you? I can't imagine what you are going through right now. But, sweets, it's not healthy to deny the fact that you are hurting." JJ looked at her with a glint of concern in her eyes.

"Is that what you really think? That I'm 'denying' the fact that I'm hurting? You know maybe I'm really not hurting at all. Is it that too hard to believe?"

"Sweetie, you were…"

Shelby interrupted her, "What? Raped? Kidnapped? Forced to slit my own wrists? How could you possibly have any clue what I might be feeling?!"

"You're right I don't. So tell me Shelby, I can help you."

"You still don't get it…" She mumbled.

JJ gave Garcia a look that screamed 'help me!'

"Shelby, you don't have to talk about it right now if you aren't ready." Garcia said.

"Ok."

"Well, the reason I came was to talk to you about Horizon. I spoke with Mr. Scarborough and he said that it would be good for you to stay here. He took you out of their program."

"Oh…" _Scott… I need you… _

"I'm sorry Shelby, I thought I would be bringing good news..." She added, noting the expression on her face.

"No." Shelby said. "It's great news. I'm really happy to hear it actually." She faked a smile.

"Where will I go to school here?"

"The Quantico public high school. It's pretty close by, so you will be able to walk there." JJ said.

"But, It's a little soon to be talking about that sort of thing. You just got here! I don't think you will be starting school for several weeks…"

"I know. I was just wondering. I think I'm going to go to bed early… if you don't mind." Shelby stood up.

"Of course. I'll see you in the morning then… night!"

She walked into her room and sat on the edge of her bed, staring at her wrists. _Why is this happening to me? _

Shelby flipped of the light switch, and blindly made her way towards the bed, where she curled up under the covers. Closing her eyes, she realized how cozy this little room was. She noticed how the sheets and comforter were brand new, and how the room looked like it was freshly painted. _JJ did all this for me?_ _She really does care…_ Shelby smiled as she started to drift off. In the background, the noises of Garcia and JJ talking slowly faded away, as she fell into a welcome sleep.

* * *

A special thanks to ElisaCollette, DeviousRobynno, LieutenantBoxer, Sue1313, and IrigD for their reviews. It's always a pleasure to hear your feedback.

I hope you enjoyed the chapter!

Until Next Time,

-PoWriter


	9. That is Not a Waffle

**Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds or Higher Ground… sadly**

**~Please review!!!! Unless of course you already do review, in which case, thank you very much for your continued support~**

**

* * *

  
**

**At the Apartment:**

**Shelby POV: **

_I was running down the hallway. It never seemed to end. I could hear him screaming, his shadow cast in front of me on ground. "Shelby. You can't escape me. You will always be mine." I kept running, and running. My legs started to feel heavier, and my knees buckled beneath me. I fell to the floor screaming. And there he was, standing above me, smiling. He had a knife in his hand. I was suddenly covered in blood, the room around me spinning. Walt laughed, and plunged the knife into my stomach. _

**End Shelby POV. **

Shelby awoke with a start. She was screaming and sweating, tears flowing freely down her flushed face. JJ heard her from inside of her room, and quickly rushed to her door.

"Shelby! Oh my god… " She wrapped her arms around Shelby's shaking form. "Shh, it was only a dream. You're fine. Everything's ok."

She clung to JJ's shirt, and sobbed. "But he was there! I-I saw him! He… He…"

"I know… shhh…. It's ok. He's gone now. Nobody is going to hurt you ever again."

Shelby sniffled and wiped the tears off of her face with the back of her sleeve, before letting out a last little whimper. She breathed in deeply and looked at JJ.

"Thank you…"

"Of course… you know, you are doing really well. If I had gone through something like that… I mean… I don't think I would have made it." JJ put a hand on Shelby's arm. "You are the bravest, strongest person I have ever met Shelby."

She looked down. "I'm not that strong."

JJ smiled and let Shelby rest her head on her shoulder. "I will always be here for you. I love you more than anything in this world. I always have, and I always, always will."

She started to get up, but Shelby gently grabbed her hand. "Could you stay for a bit longer? Just until I fall asleep?"

JJ lay down on top of the comforter next to Shelby, and the two quickly drifted off to sleep.

_**The Next Morning…**_

JJ was the first to wake up. She saw Shelby sleeping peacefully beside her, so she quietly crept out of the room. The clock read about 8:00 am.

JJ walked into the kitchen, she had decided to make some waffles for breakfast. Reid had purchased a state-of-the-art-waffle-maker for her birthday last year. She had never really found the urge to use it before, but she figured that most teenagers liked waffles. _Guess I can't go wrong with Reid's waffle maker…_

She started mixing the ingredients for the batter together. When the goopy concoction was finished, she turned on the machine and poured in the batter.

- - -

Shelby cracked open her eyes. _What's that smell?_ She jumped out of bed, and trudged into the kitchen. JJ was trying to remove a very crisp looking object out of a waffle maker.

"Morning… what's that?" JJ spun around.

"I made waffles!" She handed Shelby a plate with a strange, shriveled, and blackened crisp of sorts on it.

"Umm… are you sure this is a waffle?"

"I'm sorry… I'm usually pretty good at cooking. Its just this stupid… err… waffle maker!"

Shelby held back a laugh, pursing her lips together.

"Want me to give it a try?"

"Sure."

Shelby poured in the waffle mix, and closed the lid. A minute later she opened the lid and peered inside.

"What the heck?" The "waffle" was just as blackened and shriveled as before.

"Where did you get this from?"

"Dr. Reid gave it to me for my birthday last year."

"I think it's defective."

"Definitely defective."

The two smiled at each other.

"How does ice cream sound?" JJ asked.

"That sounds perfect."

**Back at Mt. Horizon:**

Scott had just received Shelby's letter. He was reading it aloud to Daisy, his eyes starting to water.

"She's hurting Daisy! I can't just sit here!"

"Scott, you heard what she said, she is in Virginia! Do you realize how far away that is?"

"Yes. But I don't care. I'm going to find her."

He got up and started throwing clothes into a bag.

"Scott wait…" Daisy said.

"What!"

"I'm going with you." She replied.

"Daisy… really. Think about this."

"I really don't have anything left you realize. My mom is dead. My dad is in rehab. A little adventure could be exactly what I need."

Scott smiled. "Pack your bags then. We leave tonight."

"How? I mean. How exactly do you suppose we are going to get there?" Daisy asked with a hint of sarcasm in her voice.

"We will take canoes down the river, until we reach the town. Then hitchhike to an airport, and take a plane to Virginia."

"A plane? Scott… we don't have any money."

"Well… actually. I kind of smuggled in some money with me from the last time I was home."

"I see. Well then, I'll see you later."

Daisy skipped out of the room, and ran to her cabin to pack.

**Back at the apartment:**

JJ was on the phone with Hotch, she was discussing the details of their newest case.

"I can come in tomorrow to work out a press conference, unless you need me today." She said.

"No, JJ. Tomorrow is fine. This guy is smart. He is going to wait for a week or so to devise a plan for his next victim."

"All right. See you then Hotch." She hung up the phone.

"What was that about?" Shelby asked.

"That was Agent Hotchner. He needs me to come in tomorrow. If that's ok with you."

"Sure. Why wouldn't it be?" Shelby asked.

"It's just… I could be there for a while. You never know how long these things take. I probably won't be back till early the next morning."

"I can take care of myself." Shelby retorted.

"Oh… I know that. I was just making sure."

The two spent the rest of the day walking around Quantico. JJ showed Shelby the School, and several fun stores nearby. When the time came to retire back to their rooms, JJ said goodbye to Shelby, and told her to call if she needed anything. She knew that Shelby would probably still be asleep by the time that she left for work.

- - -

Shelby woke up the next morning sweating and shaking. She had another nightmare. Crawling out of bed, she pulled out a pair of jeans, and a black shirt that JJ had bought for her. When she was dressed and ready she went into the kitchen and poured herself a bowl of cereal.

Talking aloud to herself Shelby said, "So, what will I do today…"

**At an Airport:**

"Scott, this is insane! Look, it's great that you have a fake I'd and all, but there is no way that they will let us on that plane."

"Daisy, chill. How about we just wait and see." Scott said.

"_Flight 226 to Quantico Virginia is now boarding!" _Boomed the loudspeaker.

Daisy and Scott stood up and made their way to the attendants.

"Boarding passes please." The woman held out her hand.

Daisy gingerly paced both of their boarding passes in her palm. The attendant stared at them for a couple seconds and sighed. "Move along please." She said, handing them back their passes.

"See? How easy was that?" Scott looked at Daisy expectantly.

"Yeah, whatever. Let's just get to the plane."

The two quickened their pace as they raced down the long passageway.

* * *

Hello all, I need your opinion on something... this is an opportunity for you to get involved in the story plot line... (yay!) I think that JJ will be finding herself a love interest very soon... and I need you to tell me what you would prefer!  
So, I have several choices for you:  
a.) JJ and Reid  
b) JJ and Will  
c.) JJ doesn't have a love interest.  
Please let me know in a review what you would like to happen! Majority vote will be somehow intertwined into the story. (Don't worry, the main character is still Shelby.)

A special thanks to these reviewers, for reviewing either every, or just about every chapter! You guys/girls are amazing!!

**-DeviousRobynno  
-Ghostwriter  
-ElisaCollette  
-Sue1313  
-IrigD  
-LieutenantBoxer**

Until Next Time,

-PoWriter


	10. What in the World

**Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds or Higher Ground… sadly**

**~Please review!!!! Unless of course you already do review, in which case, thank you very much for your continued support~**

**Authors note: Ok, so we have to results from this weekends poll. I got a majority of responses saying that they wanted a Shelby-Reid relationship, but I also got quite a few saying that they wanted no relationship at all. So, to try and accommodate both of those people, here is what is going to happen:**

**JJ and Reid will slowly start to grow closer to each other, but that will just be off on the sidelines, nothing major or too noticeable. (And for those you who don't like the idea of that, not to worry, it won't be a big deal, or anything like the Reid-JJ fanfic's you may have read in the past.  
Also, sorry for the late update. Exams are almost here, and I barely have any free time. **

**Enjoy! :]  
**

**

* * *

**

**On a Dark Street:**

Shelby sighed. It had been a long day. She had just finished her hot chocolate, and was making her way home. _Do you think that is her? Shh! I don't know… _Shelby paused. She looked slightly to her right, and saw two shadows cast in the light of a street lamp. Picking up her pace, she started to speed walk down the street. The footsteps behind her sped up as well.

Turning around she spoke, "Ok! What the hell do— Scott? What…? Daisy?"

"Shelby!" Daisy yelped, as she tackled her.

"It's great to see you and all… but um…. What are you doing here?" She stuttered.

"I got your letter, and I just... I don't know Shelby. I needed to make sure you were ok. Life isn't the same without you." Scott took her hand and presses it to his heart.

"Scott… I don't know what to say…"

Daisy cut in. "Ok, people. I'm glad to see that your hormone driven romance is still in check… but it's freezing out here! Can we please go inside?"

Snapping her hand back to her side, Shelby turned herself around. "Yeah, follow me. I'll take you to my apartment."

She started walking. "_Your_ apartment?" Scott asked.

"Well, technically it's JJ's apartment, but whatever."

When the trio finally arrived, the collapsed on top of the couches. "Well isn't this a cute little setup." Daisy commented, grinning widely.

Shelby smacked her arm. "Hey!"

She stood up and made her way into the kitchen, where she turned on the coffee maker. "Do either of you want any coffee?" She yelled, smiling to herself.

"What! Coffee?" They both practically leapt off of their seats, and sprinted into the kitchen.

"Holy crap Shelby! I haven't had coffee in over a year!" Scott almost seemed a little too excited.

"Oh, that's right. I forgot you two were still trapped in hell."

"Not any more." Daisy retorted.

_**Several Hours Later….**_

Shelby, Scott and Daisy now lay comfortably on the living room couch. They were watching some ridiculous reality TV show. "Why the heck are we watching this crap?" Daisy reached for the channel changer, only to be pushed away by Scott, who hungrily snatched it away.

"You know these are all fake right? It's completely…" She was cut short by a noise coming from outside of the apartment.

"Shelby, what was that?" Scott asked.

"Shit. Quick… uhh… get into my room!"

They jumped up and were shoved into Shelby's bedroom. "Get in the closet!" She slammed the door, and turned off the TV.

The sound of a door closing was followed by JJ's footsteps as she entered the living room.

"Shelby? What are you doing up so late?"

"Oh, I was just watching some TV. I decided to wait up for you… but, you should get some rest. You look really tired."

JJ eyed Shelby suspiciously. After all, her job did take a bit of profiling. "Ok… you should get to bed too. I was going to bring you to work tomorrow if you wanted."

"Yeah, that would be nice. Ok, well I'll see you later." She stood up, and quickly walked back to her room.

"Ok. Have a good sleep then!" JJ called after her. _What on earth?_

She trudged into her own room, and picked up the phone before dialing that oh-so-familiar number.

"JJ, is that you?" Came the voice from the other line.

"Hey Reid."

"Is everything ok?" He questioned.

"Yeah, everything is fine. I just needed someone to talk to if that's ok."

"Oh, of course JJ. What do you want to talk about?"

"It's Shelby. I mean, when I got back just now she was acting really weird."

"How so?"

"She told me that she waited up for me, but then immediately changed the subject and rushed into her room."

"JJ, don't worry too much. She is still adjusting; she probably isn't sure how she feels about everything. Giver her some time. You know, statistics show that most adolescents will react this way, or worse when it comes to a major change in their home-life environment. Shelby is actually doing really well for someone in her situation." He stopped himself from rambling on.

"You're right… I guess I'm just overreacting."

"You should um, try and get some sleep. We have to get up early for work in the morning." He yawned.

"Yeah, I'll see you tomorrow Spence."

"Have a good night."

The two hung up their phones.

**In Shelby's Room…**

"Can I _please_ get out of this closet?" Daisy whined.

"Shut up Daisy." Scott shot back.

"Ok, she's in her room now… you can come out." Shelby let out a sigh of relief. _What am I going to do?_!

The two stumbled blindly out of the closet, and straightened themselves.

"Nice room, I love what you've done with it." Scott teased, looking around the relatively barren room.

"Oh please, like you could do better. Still stuck at horizon… if they find you you'll be there _forever_. Peter doesn't take too well to runners."

"Escapers more like… that place is a freaking jail." Daisy added.

"So, what are you going to do now? I mean… you don't really have too many options at this point." Shelby let herself fall on top of her bed.

"We have plenty of options! We could to go to New York… or even LA if we wanted." Scott looked a Shelby. "But, not unless you came with us. The reason we left Horizon was to see you. To be with you."

"Scott… I don't know. I mean, I just got here. This is the first time I've really had a home before."

"Whatever makes you happy."

The two inched closer to each other, and Scoot leaned in to kiss her. Daisy rolled her eyes and stepped forward.

"Not to tear you two lovebirds apart, but just to let you know, I'm right here."

Scott turned a shade of pink, and stepped back from Shelby.

"So? What, you've never seen two people kiss before?" She spat.

"Geeze, harsh much…"

Smiling, Scott reached out to hold Shelby's hand. Then, for the first time he noticed a small bulge under her sleeve.

"What's that?" He questioned.

"Oh… nothing." She turned away and pulled her wrists to her chest.

"Let me see Shelby."

"Just drop it, I said it's nothing."

He spun her around, and grasped one of her hands. Then he pushed back her sleeve to reveal a large bandage.

"Shelby… Did you do that to yourself?" Daisy stared at her.

"It's not like that. It was Walt… he…" She tried to hold back her tears. It was almost useless, trying so hard to forget.

"You don't have to explain."

Daisy put an arm around Shelby. "You two should be alone… If you want I can stay here while your gone."

"Thanks Daisy. We'll be back before sunrise." Scott smiled at her, as Shelby made her way towards the window.

They stepped out onto the fire escape, and climbed down to the street below.

When they reached the bottom, Scott whispered, "Where do you want to go?"

"There's a hotel a few blocks away, it's pretty cheap, so we should be able to afford a night's stay."

* * *

A special thanks to all my reviewers, old and new. You girls/guys are amazing, and motivate me to continue writing this story!  
Until next time,  
-PoWriter


	11. Exactly What They Needed

**Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds or Higher Ground… sadly**

**~Please review!!!! Unless of course you already do review, in which case, thank you very much for your continued support~**

**Please Note: The last chapter was slow, yes. But, it had to be written in order for the rest of the story (which will be much more exciting,) to continue. **

**Enjoy! (And please review. :] ) **

**

* * *

****In a Hotel Room:**

They lay on the bed in perfect silence. Simply staring into each other's eyes, both knowing that somehow everything would be ok.

"Scott… thank you." She whispered.

"I will always come for you. No matter how far away you are, or how lost. Nothing can keep me from loving you." He wrapped his arms around her.

They continued to gaze into each other's eyes, searching their souls, and finally feeling safe, and at home. Eventually they both drifted off to sleep.

- - -

**In JJ's Apartment:**

It was morning. The bright light from outside cast itself on Daisy's eyes, and she awoke with a start.

"Shelby? Scott?" She looked around the room.

Empty.

_Of course. _Cautiously standing up, she made her way to the door and cracked it open. The smell of fresh pancakes greeted her; she inhaled deeply, savoring the sweet scent.

"Shelby?" Someone called.

_Crap._

"Breakfast is ready if you are hungry. We have to head to headquarters soon."

Daisy closed the door and silently swore at herself. She heard footsteps, and then a knock at the door.

"Are you there?"

Panicking, Daisy rushed into the closet once again. JJ gingerly opened the door and peered inside.

"Shelby?" She stepped through the door and walked into her room.

_Don't sneeze… don't sneeze… don't… _"Achoo!" _Dammit! _

JJ swung open the closet door, and frowned when she didn't recognize the teenage girl standing before her.

"Who are you?"

"Whoa, um… hey there! You must be Ms. Jareau. I'm a friend of Shelby's."

"And why, may I ask, are you in her closet?"

"To be honest, I was hiding from you." She stated bluntly.

"I can see that. Do you want to come sit in the living room?" JJ didn't wait for an answer.

Instead, she gently grabbed Daisy's arm and lead her to one of the couches. "Hey, I don't want to seem rude or anything, but I have to get going. You know… school and all."

"Today is Saturday."

"Right. Well, never mind then. I'll just leave." She started to stand up.

"Sorry sweetie, but I need to ask you a few questions first. That or I can take you to the FBI headquarters, you know, since you broke into my apartment."

"Fine… but I didn't break into you apartment. Shelby let me in."

"Oh really? Where is she now?" JJ crossed her arms.

"She's um… well I don't exactly know." She looked down.

"What do you mean? I thought you said that Shelby let you in." JJ sat down next to her.

"She did… and then she climbed out of her window with, um I mean, to get some food." _Smooth move Daisy… real smooth._

"When did she leave?"

Daisy sighed, "Last night."

"What! Shouldn't she be back by now?"

"That's the thing… she said she would be back before sun rise. And well, clearly she's not."

"Oh God… I have to make a phone call. Just… um… stay here."

JJ rushed into the kitchen and dialed Hotch's number.

"Agent Hotcher."

"Hotch… It's JJ. I need some help."

"What's wrong."

"It's sort of confusing, but the point is that Shelby is missing… again. And I have someone who claims to be her friend here, I found her hiding in the closet." She closed her eyes and leaned against the counter.

"Morgan is actually already on his way there, he was going to stop by before he came to work."

"Ok."

"We'll find her JJ, we always do." He tried his best to comfort her.

"Thanks… hang on, I think he is here now."

When JJ had left the room, Daisy quietly made her way to the front door. Looking behind her, she swung it open.

"Whoa there princess, where are you going off to in such a hurry?"

She looked up. Standing before her was a tall, and extremely muscular man. She didn't respond.

"Morgan?" Came JJ's voice from inside.

"Right here JJ."

She sighed as she saw Daisy standing in front of him.

"Hang on JJ, I have a call from Hotch."

"Ok, He's probably calling to fill you in."

Morgan picked up his phone, and JJ lead Daisy back into the living room.

"Seriously. Why are you keeping me here again?" Daisy questioned angrily.

Ignoring the question, JJ asked, "What's your name?"

_Hmm… think, aha. _

"Graves. Morticia Graves."

"Uhuh." JJ raised an eyebrow.

Morgan walked in and turned to JJ. "Hotch told me that he had Prentiss and Reid looking for her. I'm going to go look too, if you want we can drop this one," he gestured towards Daisy, "off at the headquarters."

"No, it's fine. I'll stay here with here." JJ sat back down on the couch.

Morgan kneeled down in front of her. "Do you have any idea where Shelby would have gone? Or if she was planning on running away?"

"Well, she wasn't planning on running away. She probably just got caught up in… um." She stopped herself.

JJ turned to her, "Is there something you aren't telling us?"

She looked down.

"Listen, I know you think you are helping her, or being a good friend, but the truth is you aren't doing her any good by keeping quiet. She needs to learn to adjust to life here. You must know that."

"Fine… She left with Scott. To go, well, be alone with him."

JJ clenched her jaw.

"Who's Scott?" Morgan asked.

"Her, boyfriend."

JJ stood up, and started pacing back and forth.

"JJ, relax. I know what you must be thinking. But, we'll find her, I promise you that. I'll be back… and, keep an eye on her."

Daisy made a face at him.

_**Several Minutes After Morgan had Left…**_

Daisy broke the silence. "She didn't run away from you, if that's what you are thinking."

"How can you be sure about that?"

"Because, she loves you. If you haven't noticed, she's just really confused. This is the first time she's ever had a real home."

"You're right… I'm just worried about her. I mean, I don't know who she's with… or if she's hurt."

"Well, believe me when I tell you that the person she is with, he would never hurt her. They are connected in ways that we will never understand…. Such is the road of love."

JJ frowned slightly, then smiled. "I suppose…"

**In a Hotel Room:**

Shelby and Scott almost jumped off of the bed when three FBI agents burst through the door.

"What the hell!" Shelby screamed, as she was pulled to her feet, and hauled out the door.

Prentiss gazed down at her, "Shelby, what were you thinking?"

"What was _I_ thinking? What was _she_ thinking! She sent the freaking FBI to come find me!" Shelby seemed mortified, and angry, and upset all at once.

"We're not just the FBI Shelby… we're JJ's friends. And she needed us." Prentiss answered calmly.

Morgan, Reid and Scott were still in the room. Scott was awkwardly positioned between the bed and Morgan, while Reid remained several yards away from the two.

"Hey kid, I suggest you make you way home. You don't want me catching you in bed with Shelby again. Do you understand?" Morgan said sternly.

Scott nodded, and quickly walked out the door, smiling at Shelby as he passed her.

Morgan put his hands in his pockets and walked to Shelby's side. "Let's get you home."

"You know, I don't appreciate you having to _escort_ me there. I know how to walk." She said irritably.

Prentiss pressed her lips together as she thought. _Of course… she is embarrassed. She considered us, well Morgan in particular, to be her friends. Now we are treating her like a misbehaving adolescent. _

"Shelby, we understand that you wanted to see… your friend. But it wasn't right for you to just take off like that. Even if you did plan on coming back."

"Oh, so that's what this is about… JJ thought I was running away. Shocker." Shelby said bluntly.

"Hey," Reid interrupted, "She was just worried about you. You have to understand that. It's hard for her, waking up with you gone."

"That's not true. I left Daisy there incase I didn't make it back before morning."

Morgan grinned, "Daisy… so that's her name."

"Yeah, why?" She asked.

"No reason."

Prentiss looked at him questioningly.

"We should get back. Let us drive you home Shelby, it would make… JJ, feel much better." Reid tried his best to smile.

"Fine. Let's go."

The four headed out of the hotel and into the snowy parking lot, where a warm, black SUV awaited them.

* * *

**Hey everyone! Well, I was watching Grey's Anatomy earlier this morning, and I found this song that just seems too perfect for this story. I decided to make it the "theme song." **

**'Secret,' by Max Morgan  
Below is a link to a website that allows you to listen to the song, if you are interested (oh, and if you do happen to listen to it, please let me know what you think of it :])  
**

_** http:// www. spinner .com/2008/12/05/whats-that-song-about-the-secret-on-greys-anatomy/**_

**A special thanks to reviewer(s);  
-Ghostwriter  
-Sue1313**

**Until Next Time,  
-PoWriter **


	12. Overstepping Boundaries

Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds or Higher Ground.

Authors Note: I want to apologize for not having updated in... well, quite a long time. I had taken a little hiatus for personal reasons. But, I am back, and will try my best to update as regularly as possible.

Enjoy! :)

* * *

The car ride back was eerily silent. Shelby refused to look at anything other than her feet, while Prentis' tragic attempts to start conversation had been abruptly put to an end.

Finally, Shelby spoke, "We didn't do anything you know. I mean... not that it's really your business, but, yeah, we just wanted to see each other."

Prentis shot her a knowing glance before responding, "I know. Believe me, that guy you were with wouldn't have walked out alive if Morgan thought for one second that anything more had happened."

Morgan straightened his back in his seat, as Shelby frowned at no one in particular.

**At Horizon**:

"Peter, calm down! I'm sure they are fine. We're going to find them."

Peter paced frantically before Sophie, "I _am_ calm Sophie. But it's been two days. And still no news of Scott or Daisy."

"Look, the missing persons report was filled out this morning. I'm sure we'll have them back soon. Just relax, it's not doing anyone any good to have you like this. Remember, there are still kids here who need you."

**Back in the Car:**

"So, where did you say you knew those kids from again?" Reid asked.

"I didn't."

"Well, how _do_ you know them Shelby. I didn't think you would have had the chance to make any friends here just yet." Morgan questioned.

Shelby stared at her feet. "It doesn't matter how I know them. Just mind your own business."

Morgan sighed and turned his gaze to the passing houses. They were almost at JJ's apartment.

-

When they arrived, Morgan was the first to get out of the car. Reid and Prentis followed soon after.

"Shelby," Prentis started, "Are you coming?" Shelby hadn't gotten out of the car.

"Thanks but no. I'd rather not. You all feel free to head right up though." Shelby crossed her arms.

"Sorry kid, but you have to go up to JJ. She's responsible for you, so you need to go and apologize for taking off. How do you expect her to trust you when you pull stuff like that?" Morgan took a step towards the car.

"Look, I really do understand what you are saying... I'm not as naive as you all might think. But, really I have something I need to do." She replied.

"Shelby, this isn't really up for discussion." Reid added.

"You know, I wasn't exactly looking for your approval. You can't _make_ me go with you. I've got something important to do at the moment... I'll come back as soon as I'm done."

Morgan uncrossed his arms and pulled open the car door. "Sorry Shelby, but you're coming up with us... now."

With that, he reached over her and unbuckled her seat-belt. Pulling her out by the waist as he backed out of the car. "Hey! Let me go!" Shelby kicked him in the shin.

"Gah! Come on now, don't do this to me Shelby." Morgan winced.

Prentis quickly grabbed one of Shelby's arms, and allowed Morgan to take the other. Shelby felt like a complete idiot. _I'm not some child. I was simply trying to figure out where Scott would have gone off too. He has NO CLUE where he is going! They aren't helping anyone here..._ She thought to herself.

JJ and Daisy were sitting silently across from one another. JJ was about to start up some form of conversation, when the doorbell rang.

"JJ hurry up! It's Morgan!" (_Sounds of struggle.) _

JJ opened the door to find Prentis and Morgan holding Shelby before her. Shelby's hair was a complete mess, and she otherwise looked relatively upset.

"Oh my god... Shelby! What... what happened?" JJ pulled her inside.

Shelby didn't respond.

"Shelby... just come and sit in the living room with your friend. We need to talk about this." She added.

Much to Shelby's disdain Morgan and Prentis led her into the living room, and sat her down on one of the couches. Daisy shot her an 'I'm sorry" glance before looking back at the ground.

"Look, I'm really sorry that this caused so much trouble. I honesty didn't mean to be out so late. We just lost track of time and fell asleep." Shelby looked at JJ.

"I understand that much. But, what I don't get is why you thought it would be okay to just leave in the middle of the night like that. You have to realize that it's not okay for you to do that... ever." JJ's tone of voice mirrored the seriousness of her face.

"I know... it was... stupid."

Daisy looked up at that and frowned. It wasn't like Shelby to say something like that. "Well, I'm definitely glad that you're all made-up and all that... but I really _do_ need to be going. My um, family should be needing me home soon." Daisy began, "Do you by any chance know where my dearest brother Scott went off to?"

Morgan laughed, "There's no way that kid is your brother."

"Well he is. Deal with it." Her tone of voice instantly darkening.

"Sorry Daisy, we didn't see where he ran off to after Morgan scared him away." Prentis adjusted her blazer.

JJ saw Shelby's look of desperation, and instantly got the message. "Thanks guys... but I think I can take it from here."

"You sure JJ?" Morgan questioned.

"Yeah. But I'll call you if I need anything."

Reid and Prentis nodded and smiled before taking their leave. Morgan however, remained behind. "Can I talk to you for a second?"

"Sure Morgan," JJ led him into the kitchen. "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, everything is fine. But I need to know if you have spoken with Shelby about... what happened to her."

"Morgan..." Her voice lowered. "I don't know how to just yet. It's going to take some time. I want her to get settled here first."

"I know... I'm just worried about her." He turned his head towards the living room.

JJ studied Morgan's face. His pain was visible through the gentle frown that made it's way across his brow. "Thank you, Morgan. I know this must be hard for you as well. I am planning on talking with her about it. But don't feel that you can't talk with her too, if you ever have the need."

Shelby and Daisy waited until JJ and Morgan had gone out of earshot before they started to talk.

"Oh my god Shelby! What the heck?"

"Daisy, I am _so_ sorry. We just fell asleep. When we woke up there were like 5 FBI agents around the bed!"

"Hey, I'm not mad... well actually that's a lie. But where is Scott? I mean, he has no idea where he is going. And I'm sure someone must be looking for us by now." Daisy whispered.

"I don't know... but first we need to find him, as for that other issue, we'll figure it out later." Shelby turned her head towards the window. It had started to snow again. And by the looks of it, there was going to be a storm.

* * *

Well, this concludes the next chapter. If you liked it let me know, if you didn't... let me know that too!

Until Next Time,

PoWriter


	13. Like a Poison

_**Note: Hey guys. So I don't know if this is interesting to you, but I actually wrote this one backwards. I knew how I wanted it to end like, so I worked from there! Enjoy :) **_

Scott was lost. He had been walking around the city for ages, trying to find his way back to Shelby's house. So, when he came upon a small park, he decided to take a rest on one of the benches.

The snow was still falling, and Scott could barely make out the two figures that were slowly walking towards him.

"Scott!" One of them called out.

It was Agent Morgan. He and Prentiss had been looking for Scott all night. When they reached him, the two sat down on the bench, one on either side of him.

"You should know something." Scott said, "Daisy and I only came here for Shelby. We were worried about her... I had to make sure she was okay, ya know?"

Prentiss nodded, "But you know that you won't be allowed to stay here. I wish there was some way that you could... But you're school is on their way here. They've been really worried about you."

Scott nodded, "I knew we'd have to go back at some point. But it was worth it to see her, even if it was only a day or so."

Morgan frowned, clearly misinterpreting what Scott had said.

Prentiss looked at her watch. "We should go. We need to pick up your friend, Daisy."

The three stood up, Morgan gently leading Scott towards the car.

_**...**_

_She was running. Running until the air left her lungs, until the strength left her body. She closed her eyes, and felt herself falling into an abyss of nothingness. An empty shell of herself, floating lifelessly through space. _

"Shelby? Are you awake?" She felt herself being gently shaken to consciousness by a familiar touch.

"Yeah, I'm awake. Sorry JJ, what's wrong?" She asked.

"Well, I just got a call from Dr. Reid, and it looks like they found your friend... Scott." JJ smiled hopefully.

"Is he okay? When will he be here?" Shelby jumped up and looked around.

"Wait... where'd Daisy go?" Shelby searched the space for her friend.

"She's gone, Shelby. Someone from Horizon is on their way here to pick them up. Apparently they've been missed. We had no choice but to take them to the police station..." JJ looked at Shelby, feeling the pain she saw on her face.

"I'm so sorry... But there counselor, Peter, he's coming to pick them up. There's still time for you to see them before they go, if you want to." She added thoughtfully.

Shelby didn't say anything. She nodded solemnly, and went to grab her sweatshirt.

**...**

**At the Police Station: **

Scott smiled when he saw Shelby walk through the front doors of the station, JJ trailing close behind.

"Scott!" She called when she spotted him, running to his side.

"Shelby, I'm so sorry. There wasn't anything else I could do. They were going to have to find out at some point." He whispered softly.

"I've missed you... I don't know what I'll do without you..." She choked on her words.

"No one ever really knows what they're doing in this life. But they find a way to get through each day. Somehow, they push through. Supposedly it gets better. I guess well just have to find out then, right?" He flashed a witty smile.

"Yeah." Shelby smiled, "I suppose we do."

Daisy appeared from behind the bathroom door, "There you are!" She exclaimed.

"Shelby! I thought we weren't going to see you before we left..."

"What? As soon as I found out where you guys were I came right over! I can't believe they're making you leave..." Shelby rested her head on Scott's shoulder.

"Can't take the Daisy withdrawal huh? Yeah... that's some pretty powerful stuff."

"Yeah, that's it. I can't handle all this withdrawal."

The three smiled at each other, savoring the moments they had left.

**...**

It wasn't Peter who came for them, a member of the security staff, who Scott had grown quite close to, arrived shortly after Shelby. To Shelby, it was like a dream. They were gone, and she didn't understand why. Why they had to leave, why Walt was dead, why she was alive.

"Come on Shelby, let's go home. I'll make us some hot chocolate." JJ's warm embrace brought her back to reality.

"Yeah... that sounds good."

**...**

Shelby stared at her hot chocolate, letting her mind go blank. A sea of thoughts swirling around in her head. She was lost, running. She didn't quite know what she was running from, or running to. But it was all she could do. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breathe, feeling the air run down into her lungs. _This keeps me alive? This simple action? _

"Are you okay? I know that was really hard for you... but I want you to know that I'm here for you. Whatever you need. I'm always going to be here for you." JJ sat down next to her.

"Thanks JJ... I'm okay though. Just thinking."

"What about?"

"Nothing in particular."

"It's like a poison you know?" JJ took as sip of her cocoa.

"What is?"

"Loss, suffering. It sits with you, and ever so slowly, eats away at you. Until there is nothing left."

"How do you stop it?" Shelby turned to look at JJ, concern in her eyes.

"It's different for everyone. But I think... the best cure for that type of poison, is love. Lots and lots of love."

Shelby smiled.

"And I have some good news for you my friend. I happen to have lots and lots of love... and it's all for you."

JJ gently swung her arm around Shelby, and Shelby took a breath as she rested her head on JJ's shoulder.

Nothing had ever felt so right.

_Maybe Scott was right... I guess we'll have to wait and see. Just like everybody else. _


End file.
